When most business owners and executives think of “hidden” IT costs, they imagine phantom billable hours that they are being charged for, or useless software upgrades that do nothing to help profitability.

Those are certainly issues you have to look out for if you aren’t working with a reputable technology partner, but there is actually another hidden IT cost that’s a lot more prevalent: chronic issues that slow down you and your employees as you go about your work.

There are literally hundreds of issues that could fall under this category, but some of the most common include:

Slow or inconsistent wireless Internet connections

Hardware failures and glitches that result in lost files

Spyware and viruses that slow down your computer’s performance or take you to unintended web destinations

Missing, changed, or incorrect passwords and registration information that prevent you from using the tools you need

We could go on and on, but the point is that we see clients struggle with these kinds of nagging issues day after day, when they should be attending to other work or projects.

Because the delays tend to be short, they never actually get dealt with or show up on a profit or loss statement. Make no mistake, though, they can easily add up. What is a few hours of your time worth? What about the wages and salaries you are paying to your staff for those hours?

Now is a great time to stop paying hidden IT costs for things that don’t work the way they’re supposed to.

Over the years, we have learned that there isn’t a lot of middle ground when it comes to outsourced IT. Lots of businesses have great technology teams they count on, while others have none at all.

That’s understandable, to a degree. If your outsourced IT vendor isn’t giving you the service and pricing you deserve, it makes sense to look elsewhere. Don’t make the mistake of trying to handle technology in-house, though – this is literally the worst alternative to having a great outsourced IT team.

Why is it such a big mistake to look after your own technology? For one thing, it tends to lead to infrequent maintenance, incorrect settings, and lots of tiny problems that add up over time. In other words, because most non-IT employees aren’t sure what to do, they end up making small problems worse, and aren’t prepared to deal with bigger ones.

More to the point, though, is that managing your own IT tends to be a big drain on your schedule. It wastes a lot of time that you could be spending on other things, like billing, customer service, or just running your company. The same holds true if you delegate IT work to other employees who don’t know much about technology; they spend lots of their workday doing things they aren’t paid to, and neither job gets done as well as it should.

While it always makes sense to hold out for the right technology team, don’t make the common mistake of going without one altogether.

If you were to ask most business owners and executives what to look for in an outsourced IT provider, they would likely recommend that you closely examine things like certifications, or perhaps technical areas of expertise. While these are good starting points – you certainly want an IT team that understands the hardware and software you use – they shouldn’t be your most important criteria.

In fact, if you want to choose a technology partner that you’re going to be happy with months and years down the road, then what you should really look for is a reputation for service and fair pricing.

The reasoning behind this advice is surprisingly simple: Any good IT team can work on common types of technology, and can probably even learn about any specialized or custom technology you might have. What is harder to find, however, is a vendor that is reliable and responds to your questions and requests in a timely manner.

If you don’t believe us, look at the reviews for some well-known IT companies. You’ll find that the best ones stand out not just for what they know, but the way they deliver value to their clients month after month. They do the job and fix problems, but they also stay in touch and have consistent billing practices.

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Find out how TSG Computer Services can help you minimize downtime, increase security and maximize profits. You can learn about our computer repairs and IT consulting services, our computer support specialists, or you can contact us now.